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Memorial planned March 8th for Betty Lou Benson, 1923-2014

A memorial service is planned on March 8th for Betty Lou Benson, whose family shares this remembrance:

Betty Lou Benson died peacefully at age 90 on February 12, 2014 after a short illness. She was born August 20, 1923 in Denver, Colorado, and graduated from the University of Denver (DU) in Education. She moved to Tacoma in 1949 to teach elementary school and met her husband, Norman, in The Mountaineers. He had also moved from Starbuck, Minnesota to Seattle to work for Boeing.

They married in 1951 and enjoyed skiing, hiking, and folk dancing together. They made their home in West Seattle for over 50 years where she was a homemaker involved in her church, school PTA, Camp Fire, and Boy Scouts. Early on, they purchased a cabin on Vashon Island, which is still enjoyed by the family today. Betty was a door-to-door Avon Lady in her Admiral district neighborhood and worked part time at the Louise North dress shop in the West Seattle Junction. Later she was active in the West Seattle Garden Club, Federated Women’s Club, and her Kappa Delta Sorority Alumnae group. She was always generous with her time and talents.

She also collected countless donations for the Salvation Army Hickman House for victims of domestic violence and was named their Volunteer of the Decade in 1998. After her husband Norman passed away in 2002, she lived 11 years at the Kenney Home, a very special community of friends where she received kind, compassionate care. She was a wonderful mother with a positive, gracious spirit. She always enjoyed people and was a dear friend to many. She loved the ocean, beach walks, and especially trips to Hawaii. She leaves behind her children Janet (Mark) Thomasseau and Gary (Jane) Benson and grandchildren Allison Thomasseau and Matthew Benson.

Remembrances may be made to West Side Presbyterian Church – Youth Special Event Scholarships – or Salvation Army Hickman House at 1101 Pike St, Seattle, WA 98101. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm Saturday, March 8, 2014 at West Side Presbyterian Church, 3601 California Ave. SW. Share your memories at forestlawn-seattle.com.

(WSB publishes obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)

Regret hearing of Betty’s passing. I am not sure how my family got to know her. I just recall growing up my family had contact with her and she always was very gracious and kind. She always had a smile and lit up the world around her.

The children and teachers at Tiny Tribe Preschool are incredibly sad to hear the news of Betty’s passing. During our bi-monthly visits to the Kenney home, we came to know and love her kind gentle spirit. She had such an amazing passion for life and especially for children. During our visits, I always enjoyed talking with her about motherhood, her career as a teacher, and child development. She always had a smile on her face and a story to share. I feel blessed to have been able to call her my friend.

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